Dear all,
Today's post will be on one of my favourite photo motives, cheetahs. These beautiful animals are the athletes of the savannah and their hunts are spectacular as they are able to reach a top speed of over 100 kilometers per hour. In the Maasai Mara we were lucky enough to observe cheetahs almost every single day.
There was the so-called rooftop cheetah that frequently used the roofs of safari vehicles as its viewpoint. Even more spectacular was the female with her 6 young cubs! But most impressive were the hunting shows of the three brother cheetahs. They had been inseparable since their birth, a few years ago. They are working together like a perfect team and their hunts are so effective that the guides gave them their nickname 'the killing machine'.
We found them on a few occassions during our afternoon game drives. They were resting in the shade of an acacia tree, but it was a public secret that their shows usually started at around 4 o'clock. After they got awake, they started with grooming, some stretching exercises, and playing together. This ritual was followed by a short walk towards a nearby termite hill. From such a viewpoint, they spotted where the herds of wildebeest were. Once they selected a target they started their hunt by walking towards their potential prey in a parallel way, separated about 100 meters from each other. It was striking to see that they didn't bother too much about their camouflage. They completely relied on their speed as they probably knew how effective they were with the three of them.
The wildebeest usually didn't bother about the approaching brothers until they came within a few hundred meters. One of the brothers usually opened the chase resulting in an obvious panic within the herd. If they were able to separate a calf from its mother their diner was served.
It was spectacular to observe these hunting parties. Hope to meet the brothers again on a certain day! For the time being, the pictures are a precious memory.
Next post will be on hyenas.
Best regards,
Dirk-Jan
